Cooper is advising Northam and Graham on their campaigns.

“[N]early three quarters of the 33 states facing budget shortfalls this fiscal year and next will elect governors by November 2018.”

“Republicans are … blaming two Democratic governors on the ballot next year for their respective states’ delays. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) skipped the NGA summit to continue talks with the legislature and Republican Speaker Mike Turzai, a likely challenger. Rhode Island state Rep. Joe Trillo (R), who is exploring a bid for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, said … that a budget standoff … ‘shows no leadership’ from the governor. Raimondo countered Saturday that the onus was on Democratic legislators to ‘do their job, pass a budget, and put people first.’”

“Democratic candidates are also targeting a pair of red states, Kansas and Oklahoma, where term-limited GOP governors have grappled with structural deficits.

Term-limited Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) “faced opposition during negotiations from members of both parties who are eyeing her job. … Fallin called state House Democratic Leader Scott Inman, a 2018 candidate, an “obstructionist” because he “chose to lock up his caucus” against her proposals. And Republican Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb quit the Cabinet when Fallin proposed increasing fees to balance the budget. ‘The lieutenant governor, he’s been running for governor for a long period of time, and it’s just a political decision he had to make,’ Fallin said.”

The chairs of the DGA and RGA, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), both govern states that have yet to pass a budget.

"Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was spotted entering a congressional office building on Tuesday morning for what a committee aide told The Daily Beast was a meeting with the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs committee and relevant staff about his time working in the Trump administration. ... Tillerson’s arrival at the Capitol was handled with extreme secrecy. No media advisories or press releases were sent out announcing his appearance. And he took a little noticed route into the building in order to avoid being seen by members of the media."